ExxonMobil could partner up with Eni and Total to jointly develop natural gas deposits off Cyprus

Cyprus’ energy minister says ExxonMobil could partner up with a consortium composed of Eni of Italy and Total of France to jointly develop gas deposits they’ve discovered close to each other off the island nation’s southern coast. Minister George Papanastasiou says ExxonMobil is in talks with the Eni-Total consortium on working together to bring their discoveries to market. He says that potential collaboration could get a significant boost if an exploratory well that ExxonMobil plans to drill early next year strikes more of the hydrocarbon. Papanastasiou was speaking Friday after ExxonMobil’s Vice President for Global Exploration John Ardill held talks with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides in the capital Nicosia.